Thursday, May 31, 2012

Richard Branson is a Die Hard entrepreneur who loves up-setting the status quo. He sees business opportunities differently and creates new rules of customer engagement. He delights when there is money to be made by benefiting the consumer; causing great consternation for legacy companies.

Legacy food retailers operate under defined rules. They evolve over time and shun risk taking. These companies reluctantly step out of their comfort zones and are very slow to make changes. They prefer to follow rather than lead. Branson is a leader because he creates new business segments and/or categories within the rules but without self-imposed limitations. Branson understand brands are inclusive not exclusive.

The confluence of food and consumers has created renewed focus on innovation in food retailing. Ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food that is “better for you” is entering virtually every sector of retailing today. For example: Tommy Bahama: clothing line and restaurants! Walgreens: drug store and fresh food retailer! Amazon: books and fresh food grocery delivery! Whole Foods: better for you food foods, both shelf stable and ready-2-eat fresh! Ikea furniture line: ready 2-eat fresh food! Sheetz once a convenience stores, now restaurants with gas! Richard Branson would create a restaurant within the fastest growing sector of food retail, the grocerant niche.

Documenting the evolving growth of the grocerant niche we wondered with the progress that has been made to date if someone were to start anew who would it be and how would they do it? Seth Goldin, renown author, has defined a hierarchy of business to business needs that established companies use. Most companies follow Goldin’s rules. Richard Branson takes chances, he creates the playing field!

The ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food grocerant niche is consumer driven. Richard Branson simple takes delight in disrupting the status quo. Branson also understands how to find a way of doing things cheaper, faster and with more profitability while the old guard limps along; fading to mediocrity and eventual failure. If you are one of the guys in so deep that you believe it’s your way and the way it has always been done protecting the brand, you might just look over your shoulder. Richard Branson might just be there.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or for positioning assistance. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us , Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant. www.FoodserviveSolutions.us

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Sheetz, and 7 Eleven each has successfully expand
into traditional QSR space with quality fresh prepared ready-2-eat and
heat-n-eat food. McDonalds, Wendy’s and
Chick-Fil-A are in addition remodeling stores with attributes more a kin to
fast casual restaurants than traditional QSR’s.

What is really happening is a confluence of events
that is culminating and driving multiple legacy retail food niches into the
grocerant niche. Many legacy food
retailers are fast adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product,
Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price, in order to maintain consumer
relevance. Vertically integrating the 5P’s of food marketing into your brand is
a success clue.

Successful retail food
operators must leverage the 5 P’s of food marketing to build strong sales with
an integrated grocerant niche food program filled with distinctive
differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part.

Here is one example, my
formula for establishing customer focused price in 2012:

Proper positioning requires big industry view of
the undercurrents of industry success.
Is your team to close to the brand?
Consumers are dynamic not static.
Is your brand dynamic?

This blog is supported in part by ads. Please view them.

Outside eyes can deliver
top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite
Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand,
product placement or positioning assistance.
Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has
been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven
Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Consumers continue looking for “better for you
food.” In a new poll taken by the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation they found that “nearly 70% of Americans reported eating
more fresh fruits and vegetables than five years ago”. Why? Health and affordability were cited as
the most important qualities.

Interestingly the poll noted that,” 23% know “a lot” about where the fresh
produce they buy comes from. Forty percent said they knew “a little”, 25% said
they didn’t know too much and 11% said they didn’t know anything about their
produce.”

Seventy-one percent of respondents said that grocery
stores were their most frequent source of fruits and vegetables, while 14% and
7%, respectively, said the same for farmers’ markets and big box supercenters.

The survey said that 64% felt that purchasing regionally/locally grown fruits
and vegetables was “very important” to them, while 93% of those surveyed said
it was “very important” or “somewhat important” that all Americans had equal
access to fresh produce.

Burgerville is one company
that integrated regional fresh fruit seasonally into it menu with great results
with items like Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Wrap and a plethora of Strawberry
refreshments. (burgerville.com) Success does leave clues and better for your
focused food is one of them. Fresh fruit
is ready-2-eat and better for you and your customer. Fresh fruit is fast food
that is good for your company and customer.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Happy Memorial Day ! Today launches the unofficial start
of the summer season. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council reports that
Americans are expected to eat at least seven billion hot dogs between today and
Labor Day. Hot dogs that are ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat are simply an American
food love affair that is shining bright.

Wienerschnitzel is the largest US restaurant chain that
specializes in hot dogs. The next time you’re out and see one of the over 350+
Wienerschnitzel stores stop in and try a chill cheese dog with mustard and
onion, wow that some good fast food!

That Hot Dog Council estimate “that Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs each
year, but more are eaten in the warm weather months when the grills are fired
up and hot dogs have that great barbecued taste…In fact, the Council found that
major league baseball fans will consume more than 20.5 million hot dogs while
enjoying games. That's enough wieners to stretch from Miami to Denver”.

Hot Dogs are the ultimate hand-held food. The grocerant niche
is complemented with the inclusion of hot dogs!
Pizza Hut’s has a new hot dog pizza.
Looking for positioning assistance?
Foodservice Solutions is the best.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in
outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify
additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration
strategy. Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit
Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru Steven Johnson developed the 5 P’s
of food marketing which are: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and
Price. When grocerant Ready-2-Eat and
Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food is thrown into the mix consumer frequency
and customer loyalty both increase for retailers driving top line sales and
bottom line profits.

Simply look at
the US retail foodservice growth and sales leaders of today. Trader Joe’s, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 7
Eleven are all growth leaders. Trader
Joe’s leads in sales per square foot at over $1,750 per Sq. Ft. Chipotle, Five
Guys and 7 Eleven are all growing units and garnering share of stomach from
everyone else. All are members of the
grocerant niche.

One
of the most interesting new developments is bundling of the meal components
with a “better for you” focus. It’s a
mix and match game that is very empowering for the consumer. Consumer’s select by meal occasion what
“better for you” attribute they want. It
can be fresh hamburger, low salt, cooked to order, or green packaging.

Don’t
discount the value of consumer choice or limit the world of “better for
you”. Mix and match of small portion,
fresh products, green packaging all are contribution to making meal time a time
of convenient
meal participation, differentiation and individualization and
consumers are responding.

Since 1991
retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the
global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or
Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant,
twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnsonwww.FoodserviceSolutions.us Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Times they are a changing as
the song goes. Regular readers of this
blog understand the rapid currents of growth taking place within the grocerant
niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. Part of that niche includes QSR’s, however
that seems to be the one sub-sector struggling with repositioning while
attracting new consumers.

Tiffany Hsu of the Los Angles
Times wrote the following which all of my regular readers will enjoy

“Fast-food eateries are in the throes of
drive-through Darwinism as more upscale upstarts, such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread Co., grab market share from the likes of Taco
Bell, Subway and Wendy's.

Chains that are fancier than fast-food options but cheaper than sit-down
alternatives are part of a hybrid sector known as fast-casual that is maturing
into one of the food industry's strongest.

That category is tapping into growing demand for more healthful, specialty
foods that are still speedily served and moderately priced. Fast-casual is
steadily poaching fast-food customers looking for better quality and sit-down dinners
seeking cheaper prices, said NPD analyst Bonnie Riggs.

"There's no end in sight to their growth," Riggs said. "They've
delivered on consumers' value expectations far more than most fast-food
places." …

But the boundaries are blurring. Eateries such as Carl's Jr., with its Six
Dollar Burger, and foodie-favorite In-N-Out straddle the line between fast-casual
and fast food. Drive-thru’s are appearing at Panera locations. Some fast-casual
chains are experimenting with delivery, usually an option provided by sit-down
restaurants.

"We're going to continue to see more fuzziness in how to define these
restaurants," said Robert L. Sandelman, chief executive of food service
research group Sandelman & Associates.”
Folks let’s face it this is the GROCERANT NICHE. Is it time you understand
this growth? Then take some time read some of our pervious blogs Email or call.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA
has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson
and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant,
twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook/Steven Johnson

Friday, May 25, 2012

Tesco a leader in the ready
meal category after careful review and consultation is reinvesting in its
industry leading ready meal program offerings. In a press release they said “Ready meals are a massively popular part of our fresh
food ranges, and we’re really pleased to be able to give our customers even
more for their money.”

This new multi-million pound revamp reflects and includes
key elements of Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product,
Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.
With a focus on improved food quality and packaging, phase one of the
up-grade will focus on Indian, Oriental and Tex-Mex ready meals which are three
of the UK’s most popular cuisines.

Consumers
will now receive 20% more meat in each ready meal and each will include or
contain higher quality “sauces, herbs, pasta and rice – all at no extra cost to
the customer.” Currently Tesco offers
300 ready meal offerings in just those three categories alone, all will be
upgraded.

In
the UK the ready meal market is growing at 5% per year and reflects the global
trend as well. Foodservice Solutions®
grocerant leadership is globally recognized.
Your customers are looking for ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat mix and match
meal component options. Are you considering Foodservice Solutions? Mix and match small portion, fresh prepared food is making
meal time a time of convenient meal participation, differentiation and
individualization and consumers are responding.

Invite
Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand,
product placement or positioning assistance.
Since
1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the
Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Food Deserts be dammed retail food giants and icons are
all building new stores with a smaller footprint consumers have been asking for
and making money doing it. No longer will neighborhoods be without fresh food
options. When customers are ready-2-eat fresh
food Wal-Mart, 7 Eleven and Wawa could be in your neighborhood soon. Walgreens
is in your neighborhood now growing ready-2-eat fresh food options.

In less than one year from launch of Walmart Express, CEO
Bill Simon stated that Walmart Express small-format stores are already
profitable. No longer will Wal-Mart need to look for huge open spaces to build
new units. The small format store range
from 10,000sf to 15,000sf about the size of new large footprint 7 Elevens or
Wawa’s that offer gas.

Consumers go to Wal-Mart too buy national branded
products for less. Consumer have long complained about the time it takes to
shop in a grocery store. Walmart Express
allows them to continue to find value in brands without the need to walk all
the way around the perimeter of the store.

Finding profitability so rapidly with the new footprint
it may be Wal-Mart that will slow the two new stores in the US a day growth
that 7 Eleven is enjoying while dominating this space. Wawa and industry icon and sales per store
leader will continue its growth in Florida for the next several years.
Walgreens is testing fresh food from coast to coast.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom
line profits. Invite Foodservice
Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement
or positioning assistance. Since 1991 Foodservice
Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche
visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

NPD’s National Eating Trends study which
tracks all aspects of eating behavior found “coupon apps
are used by about 25 million Americans each month, and this happens most
frequently in households with children. The foods these app-couponing-families
consume more often skew towards kid-friendly staples like eggs, cold cereal,
bacon, sausages, macaroni and cheese, soup, and fruit juice.

More than half of U.S. consumers are aware of Groupon,
the localized deal-of-the-day website, and about one in five consumers receives
emails regularly from the service, according to National
Eating Trends®. Roughly the same proportion claims to read through
the emails at least monthly — equating to more than 60 million U.S. consumers.”

Are
cook books the next legacy print to become reduced in value? The study found “Over the last year, about half of Americans accessed the
Internet to get their recipes. In a recently released NPD report entitled,
Recipes Are Cooking, most other traditional recipe sources have been declining
in usage, while Web sites such as allrecipes.com and epicurious.com have become
top destinations for consumers in need of cooking ideas.”

Mark this number down 7% of
consumer visit Amazon for food offerings ever two or three months according to
NPD. Amazon Fresh is building a base and
we believe that Amazon has found the last mile solution with delivery of fresh
food. The retail food space is evolving
fast. Both brands and retailers must findnew avenues of distribution in order to maintain
consumers.

Outside eyes can deliver
top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice
Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement
or positioning assistance. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions®
of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit
Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Real
Mex has gone from sales turn-over, too turn-around, and too turned-down. Real
Mex a multi-branded restaurant company with food manufacturing and distribution
facilities in Southern California is in an outstanding position to capitalize
on current retail food directional shifts. What they desperately need now are
outside eyes.

It’s
time that Real Mex evaluates their current manufacturing and distribution
assets, leverage proprietary restaurant brand integration while identifying and
developing both internal and external growth opportunities. Ok it sounds simple
enough, but Real Mex is in the middle of the grocerant niche and that is what
we do every day. Simply put no CEO would leave if they understood the value of
the opportunity at hand.

While many restaurant chains are expanding the
footprint of the brand into non-traditional channels Real Mex is contracting.
Restaurant chains do two things they either grow or they die. The status quo is
not something any restaurant chain can attempt to maintain in the world
today. Consumers are dynamic not static. Restaurant Chains must be the same.

Below are actions we feel Real Mex should undertake
in order to develop contemporary consumer relevance:

Focus on manufacturing of
RMF-branded products at retail with restaurant brand integration;

Extend consumer relevant
restaurant brands around the country including non-traditional outlets;

Leverage
manufacturing/distribution opportunities in markets served for private
label products into RMF brands.

Hedge
funds typically have a plan of action when they invest. Restaurant brands and consumers have a bond,
when that bond is not met the consumer moves on no matter what the plan the
hedge fund has. The fastest growing
sector of retail foodservice today is the grocerant niche. Real Mex is positioned to exploit that niche
as well if not better than any company in the US. The question is will they? Outside eye can provide insights for success.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA
has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson
and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant,
twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook/Steven Johnson

Monday, May 21, 2012

While
customization and personalization are driving success with in retail
foodservice today many legacy grocery retailers are avoiding business model
updates in order to maintain strong relationships with Wall Street. Yet the
dollar store sector continues rapid growth cherry picking item after item and
eroding the core of legacy grocery store operator business models. Wawa is
opening 100 new units in Florida over the next 3 years. Each store will offer select CPG’s products
combined with consumer interactive participatory fresh prepared food. 7 Eleven
leads the C-store sector growth with 100% of the new units having fresh
prepared food and 50% with no gas offered. Walgreens success with ready-2-eat
and heat-N-eat fresh food provides another peek of the evolving retail food
sector grocerant niche success too come.

While many legacy grocery retailers continue to be stuck in
the middle of the market; trapped in a quagmire of outdated category management
techniques and sector evolution denial, can their future be bright? Most have
been positing anemic sales at best. In 2010, for the first time, SNAP benefits
appeared to have surpassed 10% of all grocery spending. If you look at USDA’s two data series on
aggregate food spending, SNAP now represents 10% to 17% of the food retail
economy. Unemployment is in decline, a
year after a decline SNAP program falls as well. What is going to happen to these industry
legacy titans if they do not evolve with the consumer? Clearly the dollar store sector with continue
to rise, C-stores sector (currently the fastest growing US food sector) will
continue its push into fresh prepared food and continue to garner consumer. Many consumers will return to restaurants and
that sector void 99.5% of SNAP billions a month in SNAP funding will rebound
very well. Where is the void going to
show the most? Clearly legacy grocery
retailers.

Differentiation
individualization customization via bundled meal components are driving the
ongoing success in retail food sales today.
Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walgreens, and Wawa all have incorporated
interactive participatory fresh prepared food options. Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price;
continue playing a key role on how food is being sold, packaged and
delivered. When ready-2-eat and
heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food is thrown into the mix, consumer frequency
and customer loyalty both increase. New
retail food industry leaders are emerging are you one of them?

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA
has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson
and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant,
twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook/Steven Johnson

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Walgreen's continues to expand in the depth and
direction of the Grocerant niche. The grocerant niche is a result
of the blurring of the line between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience
stores, and drug stores all selling fresh prepared, portable convenient meal
solutions. Targeted at the time-starved
consumer with Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food components that are
“better for you”, portable and portioned for one or two. Walgreens gets it and
is positioning for a much larger share of the food retailing dollar.

In a programs
Walgreens rolled out in major unban city’s you can now find fresh
fruits and vegetables, salads, sushi ,
sandwiches and Heat-N-Eat meat loaf. In addition Walgreens spokesman Robert
Elifinger stated “ Our San Francisco area customers are already buying a lot of
food in our stores, and there are requests for more product offerings," he
said.

With this
market test well underway, Walgreens is now testing fresh food in New York via
Duane-Reade, Chicago and the San Francisco bay area. For all of my regular
readers you have heard it hear before but this trend is sweeping the country
from coast to coast. Non-traditional
food retailers are finding success selling fresh prepared ready-2-eat and
heat-N-eat food.

These
expanded points of distribution may well challenge many a legacy fresh food
retailer including chain restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores for
market share. Are you ready for change?

Invite
Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand,
product placement or positioning assistance.
Since
1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the
Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Friday, May 18, 2012

It was my pleasure to speak with Tim
Forrest today about his outstanding success taking ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat
food to retail. Success does leave clues
and Tim has contributed much to the success of many enterprises taking food to
retail. Are you looking for assistance in expanding into new markets or
non-traditional avenues of distribution?
Feel free to reach out, success is an Email away.

Invite
Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand,
product placement or positioning assistance.
Since
1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the
Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

“Life can be understood
bylooking backward,
butmust be lived by
looking forward.” Is a quote
by Kierkegaar that rings true even today!

The United States burger sector is simply over crowded.
Legacy operators that that utilize copycat menu ideation have looked back into
their marketing tool kit one too many times. Recycling your competitor’s
products works only for a very short period of time, I don’t suggest it. Wendy’s “larger burger” program did for it,
what it did for Burger King, a little help for a little while. When Wendy’s was a new to the marketplace they
had products with differentiation (frosty) as an example today it’s just follow
the leader.

When CEO’s reach into their tool kit and start
utilizing justification why sales are down, pointing the finger at competitor’s
unfair pricing or promotions the problem is simply continuing. The first thing we know from looking backward
is they don’t know how to fix the problem and are going to stay in a “funk” for
some time.

The hamburger sector is growing. Winners are building stores, sales and
profits. The others are watching
consumer migrate too consumer relevant brands.
McDonalds is consumer relevant. Look
at its industry leading new product positioning. Each Television Ad McDonalds runs
has a clear objective, definable and understood by consumers. Others in the
marketplace utilize professional prerogative creating spots that do not present
definable brand relevant information. Ever
wonder why? So do we!

When retooling marketing messaging misses the mark,
the message was not definable or understood by the consumer. It is that simple. That in most cases is what
happens when tactics’ replace strategy.
Many of the legacy burger companies promote from within and have
outstanding tactical implementing employees. That is not enough to replace a
vertically integrated brand strategy.

Look back at Herfy’s, once a thriving brand that
allowed its brand too diminish simply by following the leaders and not once
trying to taking the lead. Once a thriving brand with growing global footprint
now simply good in parts of the world and an industry lager in the rest. In Saudi Arabia Herfy’s is very strong, in
Korea focused, and in the United States a clear lager at best.

Cultivating
restaurant and retail foodservice success is important. Brands are dynamic not static, they develop
and grow with the consumer. Identifying
distinctive differentiated programs, positioning and consumable’s by day part
that reflect the brand, industry trends, for the consumer is required. Then they must be unique too be sustainable. Success does leave clues, legacy burger
companies must refocus not retool or they will continue to see eroding market
share, profits and franchisees.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

If you don’t understand the universal commonality
in these 7 facts it time to call Foodservice Solutions®.

At the
intersection the evolving food consumer and building top line revenue within
retail foodservice we find the grocerant niche.
This niche is filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared
food.

Below you will
find a compilation of recently released food facts that can assist you in your
success.

Ninety percent of
Americans are aware of health benefits associates with coco and dark
chocolate.

Seventy-Two percent
indicated they have changed how they cook and eat in their home.

Seventy-Three named
price as a factor while grocery shopping.

Sixty-Three percent of
US adults have dined at a fast-food restaurant chain in the past month.

Fifty Two percent say
fresh ingredients are at the top of what’s important to them.

Fifty percent have dined
at a local casual dining restaurant chain in the past month.

Forty Nine percent say
foods with less fat are important.

Consumers are evolving
these facts reflect attributes found within the grocerant niche. This growing
trend is empowering the consumer to establish new customs and traditions in
eating better, more flavorful food. The
Grocerant niche is about convenient meal participation;
differentiation
and individualization. Most often found in fresh prepared meal
components that can be bundled with mix and match options.

Foodservice
Solutions® 5P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement,
Portability and Price can play a key role when you integrate
food facts, trends with brand value. At
the intersection of the consumer, sales success you find both the grocerant niche
and Foodservice Solutions®.

Invite
Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand,
product placement or positioning assistance.
Since
1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the
Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

“The future has
already arrived; it’s just not evenly distributed.” A quote made famous by William Gibson sure comes to mind don’t you
think. Fresh prepared “better for you”
food and food options are driving success within the grocerant niche which
continues growing rapidly.

Regional
food retailers risk being marginalized by new concepts with smaller footprints,
lower cost of goods and faster service.
Food retailers must understand the new dynamics in the industry and
react properly in order too accelerate growth.
The focus is on the Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and
prepared food.

Here
is what we understand; consumer discontinuity in food retailing began in 2005
and continues. New points of distribution are growing, while becoming smaller
in size. Fresh made to order food inside
Walgreens, Ikea, Costco, food trucks, and Amazon Fresh are but just a few
examples.

Successful convenience store operators the likes of
Sheetz and Wawa once two notable regional players are now seeing 7 Eleven
entering the fresh food meal niche. In
fact 7 Eleven will open more than two stores a day this year most will not
offer gas. Casey’s General Stores continues to drive sales and frequency while
increasing fresh food offerings and expanding with new units. What do we think?

Many restaurant companies the ilk of Darden and
Brinker will need to undergo continue and additional scrutiny in order to find
a repositioned niche that will sustain them over time. Legacy grocery stores that are seemingly
stuck in the middle will simply fade away.
Wal-Mart’s supply chain advantage and industry research advantages will
simply prove too much. The added points
of fresh prepared food distribution in the retail channel offered by Walgreens
and Rite Aid will renew the local neighborhoods and rekindle community to that
sector.

William Gibson
quote: “The
future has already arrived; it’s just not evenly distributed.” How many of you are prepared for 2013.
If you have been waiting to see what’s next? If so you might have just missed the bus.
Contact Foodservice Solutions® for successful competitive positioning within
the grocerant niche.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in
outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify
additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration
strategy.

Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit
Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Retail foodservice has never had a
large company that is evolving its brand with the consumer as fast as 7 Eleven
has been able too. Leveraging
relationships with industry leading companies the ilk of Coca Cola, 7 Eleven
has created another branded “better for you” product. This is another outstanding example of a new
food and beverage line, that tilts the scales of success as an entity with
identity it is “Slurpee Lite”.

Retail food customers today are
interested in customization, sustainability and multichannel retail
opportunities. 7 Eleven fits that
bill. Most new stores do not even sell
gasoline. The new focus at 7 Eleven is
prepared and fresh prepared food.
Slurpee Lite a line formulated by Fanta and is a drink line with 50% fewer
calories than a typical Slurpee, this drink is ready-2-eat and “better for
you”.

With food shoppers ever increasingly
connected via smartphones 7 Eleven can push proactive time relevant messaging
to consumer by region, zone, state or country.
The future of 7 Elevens success is its deliberate rapid deployment of
technology to tailor store formats with local appeal, in product and price
complemented with local branded food that leverages fresh and
sustainability. All of which is
complemented with the halo of national brands that denote quality, food safety
and success.

7 Eleven is positioning for family
success this summer by selling Slurpee’s for the entire family with incremental
sales in ready-2-eat meal components that can be bundled into a single meal or
family meal on the go or simply to give Mom the night off.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Food innovation blends experimentation
with contemporary relevance. The outcome
is a unique point of differentiation that relates directly to the targeted
consumer. I believe that differentiation
does not mean different it means familiar with a twist. The grocerant niche is
busting at the seams with innovative new products.

With all the talk today about posting
calories, excessive salt there is one thing that we all must keep top of mind;
customers eat FOOD that taste good. For
all of the pontification and legislative maneuvers to change the food you are
selling to your customers beware! If you
want your customers to come back, the food had better taste good. Food success is in the mind’s eye of the
consumer and their palate.

Better for you food means many
different things to each segmented group of consumers. Each new menu or product may have one or more
new “required constraint” targeted at a specific niche few will be all things
for all groups. The one universal attribute or success clue in food innovation
is: it better taste good! Looking for
innovative new products or innovation in positioning? Call us when you are ready to move past the competition.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in
outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify
additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration
strategy. Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit
Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

The grocerant niche is
a result of the blurring of the line between restaurants, grocery stores,
convenience stores, and drug stores all selling fresh prepared, portable
convenient meal solutions. Targeted at
the time-starved consumer with ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat fresh prepared food
components that are deemed “better for you”, portable and portioned for one or
two.

These meal components
can be bundled into a meal of the consumer’s choice. Grocerant food refers to
any retail food item that is ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat / reheat sold in a
Grocery store, Convenience store Restaurant or Drug Stores that is in a To-go
or Take Away format.Most retail companies goal is to create a
collection of branded private label entrée and side dishes that have niche
leading identity.

Around the world we
are now seeing Grocerant sections in department’s stores and kiosk in malls in
Europe / Asia and airports around the world.
The items can range from entrees to side items and deserts. Some examples of items range from crab puff
pastries fried chicken, mash potatoes, cream spinach, to liver and onions,
pizza, hot dogs, steak, prime rib, various casseroles (hot-dish) to salads,
side salads pie, cake and any single proportioned deserts.

Consumer believe that grocerant
prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat foods contribute to making life just a
little easier.

Since 1991
retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the
global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and
Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants
or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant,
twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson